Kathy Presents Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz

Jacquie’s Email Hello Literary Ladies! Happy Easter, to those who are celebrating, and happy gorgeous it’s-finally-spring to you all!

    It’s field trip time again as the next meeting of the Literature Club of Hastings-on-Hudson will be held on Wednesday, April 23rd at Laura’s beautiful Ossining aerie. We will begin with lunch and a view at noon, and then Joanna will ring the bell at 1 PM to begin our meeting. Rumor has it we might even learn the results of our vote for next year's topic!

    Kathy will then present “Letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz,” which is sure to enthrall. Members, please let our hostess know if you will not be able to attend, and associate members, please let her know if you will. 

     As parking is tight, car-pooling is recommended. Joanna still has one empty space in her car and Sharon has two spots, “if people don't mind two in the back.”

    I've also included the link to our blog, so wonderfully kept up by our new recording secretary, Frances. I, for one, am most thankful for this wonderful record of our meetings. It's a rabbit hole I go down happily and often.

    I look forward to being with many of you on Wednesday and to bask in the company of Georgia OʼKeeffe and Alfred Stieglitz. It looks like the weather will be quite fine to do just that! x Jacquie

Carla’s Minutes Our caravans to the north country arrived safely at Laura’s lovely Ossining aerie where 10 of us were treated to a bird’s eye view? Eye view of birds? and a delicious picnic lunch on the terrace.

    

Georgia O'Keeffe painting

During the business part of our meeting, the topic for 2025-2026 was announced: “Classics that We Haven’t Read (or Humiliation) or Books from Our High School Years.” Minutes of the last meeting were read. While new Recording Secretary, Frances Greenberg, wasn’t there in person, her minutes received applause and laughs—a fine beginning!

    On to the presentation, with Kathy telling us all about artist Georgia O’Keeffe and photographer Alfred Stieglitz, accompanied by visuals of their works. She introduced them as a “boy meets girl” story, except that it was the girl’s work at first. After her friend had shared some of O’Keeffe’s charcoal and pastel sketches with Stieglitz, the 23-year-old art student wrote to him. Her inquiry about her work was ingenuous and frank and his reply very positive—“surprise and joy” was his reaction. A promising beginning to what would become a long and complicated relationship.

    O’Keeffe was a Wisconsin-ite born in 1887 (d. 1986) to a large farming/business family. Talented at art, she took lessons starting at age eleven and won high praise and honors. Her parents both died in 1915, and she struggled to support herself, with some help and encouragement from her mother’s sisters. She attended classes at SAIC and the Arts Students League in NYC. O’Keefe became a teacher in 1911, taking courses at Columbia Teachers’ College, then taught in South Carolina, West Texas and New Mexico (1916,]

    

Alfred Stieglitz photo

Stieglitz was born 1864 (d.1946) in New Jersey into a German-Jewish family, the oldest of six children. After attending technical schools in Berlin, 1882‐1890, he became interested in the new photography. Returning to the U.S., he opened a gallery at 291 Fifth Avenue in 1892, which is where O’Keeffe’s work was first displayed—without her permission! While she was very pleased that Steichen liked her work, she was “appalled” at having her feelings exposed publicly. Her protestations were met with his reply that he had a “higher authority” to share her work. His 1907 photograph “Steerage” is considered a signature work, representing his first “modernist photograph.”

    Although Stieglitz had been married and had a daughter, O’Keeffe was attracted by his “energy and soul,” his good looks and his value of life. The correspondence between them over a two-year period reflected her view of “the terrible fineness and intensity of him” and his “value of life”. His was a combative personality. He believed that women had “spiritual superiority” but “intellectual inferiority.” After two years of correspondence, they moved in together, sharing work and living space (1918-1928). Kathy showed images of Stieglitz’s cloud photos and O’Keeffe’s abstract work of New Mexico from that period. She was his object of both adoration and control, noted Kathy.

    In 1905, the gallery (known as 291) was recognized for its role in legitimizing photography as a fine art, for bringing attention to unknown and talented photographers, and for introducing new artists including Matisse, Rousseau, Cezanne, Picasso. A 1921 exhibit of Stieglitz’s work was a great success. His work, which included innovative nude photos of O’Keeffe and drew acclaim for his “texture and shading” and notice of a “cult of personality.” It also brought comments of sensationalism. For O’Keeffe, it resulted in her distancing herself from critics and the public.

    Over their lifetime, they exchanged more than 5,000 letters, a sampling of which we read. Indeed, through the letters they started to fall in love before they had even met. O’Keeffe questioned whether using similar words really reflected similar feelings, experiences. Their letters were often rapturous and extravagant in mutual admiration. But life was to be lived on his terms. O’Keeffe made trips on her own, to Boston and to Maine, realizing she enjoyed her own company. They married in 1924, he not wanting children—she seeking new direction in art, both wanting “total devotion.”

    Their relationship changed in 1929 when Stieglitz began an adulterous affair with 21-year-old Dorothy Norman. O’Keeffe left for a 4 month stay in New Mexico which left Stieglitz “unhinged.” He wrote to her from Lake George, a family vacation home, decrying the situation, blaming himself for robbing her of her faith, but encouraging her to discover new things for herself. They did get back together but he had emotionally destroyed her. An incident involving murals she was to do for Radio City Music Hall ended badly and contributed to her hospitalization 1931-33.

    A new relationship developed with Jean King who became her lover, but Stieglitz was still in the picture. He was happy for her successes, including a show at the Museum of Modern Art. Deep and strong forces kept them together, concluded Kathy.

Respectfully submitted,
Carla Potash, Secretary for the day

Laura Presents Letters of Vincent and Theo Van Gogh plus Some Surprises

Jacquieʼs Email Hello Literary Ladies! When choosing my own subject to present this season, I ordered The Complete Letters of Vincent Van Gogh from the library. But daunted by the sheer heft of the volume and the 500+ densely packed pages, I made a lighter choice (both literally and literarily). But how happy I was to see that Laura Rice did not shy away, and our program booklet notes that she will be presenting “Dear Theo: Letters of Vincent Van Gogh to His Brother.”

    Then I received an email from Laura in which she warned that “...my presentation, supposed to be about Van Gogh, includes him, but is not exclusively on his letters. It is kind of Van Gogh and others. In fact, I am trying to think of a name for the hodge podge it will be...” So now I'm even MORE excited for her presentation!

    With that in mind, this is a reminder that the next meeting of the Literature Club of Hastings-on-Hudson will be held this Wednesday, April 9th, once again at the spacious and gracious home of our president, Joanna. We will gather at noon for luncheon and chat, which is sure to include comparing notes on our various experiences at the empowering Saturday, April 5th “Hands Off” rallies many Lit Club members attended. (I saw Mary Lemons, Barbara Morrow, and Joanna in the huge and very polite crowd at the rally at the VFW in town before heading over to the Rivertowns Thrift at the Rec Center...) Joanna will then ring the bell to begin our meeting at 1 PM, after which we will finally learn what name Laura decided upon for her hodge podge presentation. It is sure to delight.

    Members, please let our host know if you are unable to attend, and associates, please let her know that you will be attending. 
    Stay warm and dry (and solvent??!!) and I hope to see many of you on Wednesday. x Jacquie

Francesʼ Minutes At noon, twelve members and two associates met at Joanna’s home. She had just returned the night before from a 36-hour round trip to Martha’s Vineyard. At the previous meeting she had warned us that lunch would be simple but I thought it was pretty substantial. Before leaving for the Vineyard, she made chicken soup & froze it; time in the freezer had only improved its flavor.

Laura, our presenter, and I, about to be nominated as Recording Secretary, arrived early.

Accepting the position of Recording Secretary was intimidating. I wish I had nabbed a spot on the nominating committee, which would have made me ineligible for the position. I was absent the day it was formed. If you’ve been reading this blog, you’ll understand my fear about following Christine and Barbara, our previous secretaries. Their minutes were really, really good.

Laura was getting out of her car when we met up. She wore a T-shirt with Van Gogh’s self-portrait. Adding interest to her talk was something you might expect of Laura, a retired, a beloved Hastings High English teacher. She had two heavy bags of books which I offered to help her with. Yes, I could, she said, but she also needed a favor. Sometimes I think I was born on April Fool’s Day for a reason.

bathing suit with paintings

Laura had bought a men’s swimsuit set printed with Van Gogh’s iconic paintings – including the self-portrait – and would I wear it? I had to put it on in secret, it would fit over my clothes, I should do it under cover, like in the bathroom. I should come out (dressed like a clueless, tasteless beach goer) just before she started her talk.

Readers, I did it.

 But after Joanna called the meeting to order at 1 PM.

 First, the nominating committee presented their candidates.
Treasurer: Lori (to continue another 2-year term)
Corresponding Secretary: Jacquie (to continue another 2-year term)
Recording Secretary: Frances (starting a 2-year term, replacing Christine)

The candidates were unanimously approved. Joanna thanked Christine for the wonderful minutes she’d taken during the years (2021-2025) she served as Recording Secretary.

 Second, Lori gave the treasurer’s report: $508.06. We noted that it was time to consider our annual gift to the Hastings Library. One possibility: replacing the board books in the Children’s Library, which are worn and battered. Joanna will contact Debbie Quinn for her suggestions. We will also buy children’s books from the Barkin Bookstore to donate to a summer reading program.

 Third: next year’s topic. Five topics made the cut; members are now to choose three and rank them in order of preference. Laura will reveal the final selection at the next meeting.

bathing suit detail

 We made recommendations about books and films. Christine suggested Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim, a novel about a complicated marriage, unlike von Arnim’s other work. Frances suggested “The Penguin Lessons” a film directed by Peter Cattaneo. Both Steve Coogan, the star, and the penguin deserve Oscars.

 Laura began her presentation on Vincent Van Gogh by confessing that she had difficulties approaching him. (Aside – is that the reason she asked me to wear that silly bathing suit?)

 We started by reading quotes from his letters, example: “There is nothing in the earth as interesting as people. You can not study them enough.” And “to paint nature one must live in it a long time…”

 Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands March 30, 1853, into a cultured, well-educated family with a degree of prosperity. His father was a Dutch Reformed minister; his grandfather as well as three uncles were art dealers. Growing up, Van Gogh was described as “dreamy.” He drew a lot; he disliked the boarding schools where he was sent. At 16, he started working at an uncle’s art gallery. Failure marked the next decade of his life. He was no good at, nor did he like, the business of art. He fell deeply in love and was rejected. He wanted to be a minister, but failed the university entrance exam; that was followed by another failure at a 3-month missionary course.

 He had become passionately religious. A missionary post was found for him in a coal mining district in Belgium. He permitted himself nothing more than what the miners had; the mission had supplied him with a simple dwelling which he gave up to a homeless man. He lived in a hut, like the miners; like the miners, he lived on a diet of potatoes. Living at a level perhaps even below that of the miners, religious almost to the point of martyrdom, he was still not accepted by the community. He was dismissed by the church authorities. 

 At 27, he returned to live with his parents. His father, troubled by his eccentric behavior, wanted to commit him to a lunatic asylum; a decade later, Van Gogh would be in an asylum. His younger brother Theo suggested Van Gogh go to art school. Theo gave Van Gogh the next decade of his life.

another detail of suit

Theo was his brother’s hero. He worked as an art dealer in Paris, he had a wife and a son. He supported his brother financially, although his own career was not lucrative. He tried to sell his brother’s paintings, without success. The two brothers had an extensive correspondence. Theo died 6 months after his brother’ suicide. Theo’s letters to Van Gogh have disappeared.

No other record of the development of an artistic vision exists like Van Gogh’s to his brother, nor of a man who created paintings despite debilitating mental illness, often completely isolated, with no income except the small sums Theo provided. 

 In the last two years of his life, Van Gogh suffered intense depressions; had seizures, hallucinations, delusions of being poisoned and was in and out asylums. Many of his paintings from this time are heartbreakingly beautiful.

 With the consultation of our psychologist member, Lori, we speculated on what his illness might have been: schizophrenia? bi-polar disorder? manic depression?

 Van Gogh shot himself in the chest in 1890 and died a day later of the infected wound. In his pocket was a letter to Theo. It said  “…my own work, I am risking my life for it and my reason has half foundered because of it–that’s all right…”

 Respectively submitted,
Frances Greenberg, Recording Secretary